Shoreham-Wading River capital improvement bond vote today

Shoreham-Wading River School District residents will head to the polls today to vote on a capital improvement referendum to issue $33.5 million in bonds and to use another $15 million in reserves for additional construction work.

The combined $48.5 million construction project includes urgent upgrades to windows and doors as well as fixing leaky roofs and making facilities handicapped accessible. It also involves plans to add elementary classrooms and build a cafeteria and kitchen in the middle school that would provide meals for the elementary schools.

The bond committee was formed in April, shortly after the district’s crumbling tennis courts were deemed hazardous and shut down.

If the bond is approved, said Glen Arcuri, assistant superintendent of finance and operations for the district, the average homeowner will pay about $360 more per year over the bond’s term, starting in the 2018-19 school year.

District superintendent Steven Cohen said the terms of the bond will be 15 years. However exact interest rates won’t be known until the district actually borrows the money. The life of the improvements are expected to last 30 to 40 years.

The measures are split into two separate bond proposals because $15 million will be paid from state aid given to the district in prior years. Pending voter approval, the district would borrow the remaining $33.5 million — its first-ever bond.

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the high school’s auxiliary gym.

Here are some of the proposed construction projects voters will be asked to approve. For a complete list of proposed projects, visit swrschools.org.